On the rise: using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA

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  • Montana State University
  • McGill University
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Original languageEnglish
Article number4
JournalBulletin of Volcanology
Volume84
Issue number1
Early online date8 Dec 2021
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

The Bandelier Tuff is the result of two subsequent caldera-forming eruptions of similar volume and composition which produced the Otowi (1.61 Ma) and Tshirege (1.26 Ma) members. Their remarkably similar characteristics and shared caldera boundaries provides a unique platform to investigate whether magma ascent is affected by the presence of a preexisting caldera boundary. Here, we present decompression rates for discrete layers within the initial plinian phase of each member by modeling volatile gradients (H 2O, CO 2 absent) in quartz-hosted reentrants (unsealed melt inclusions). Successful best-fit 1D diffusion models for the lower (n = 4/9) and upper (n = 11/13) units resulted in average decompression rates of 0.041 MPa/s and 0.026 MPa/s, respectively. Strong overlap between rates extracted from the two eruptions suggests there was no significant change in ascent dynamics. However, the older Otowi member contains a larger number of reentrants that cannot be modeled adequately, suggesting a more complicated path than can be reconstructed with our constant decompression approach. In contrast, reentrants from the Tshirege can be readily modeled from storage depths, an observation that suggests conduit formation was more efficient in the second eruption. To further evaluate the robustness of these extracted rates, we then applied a 2D diffusion model, which considers various reentrant geometries; surprisingly, we find little alteration to 1D-derived rates. By contrast, incorporating the uncertainty in Bandelier temperature (~ 130 °C) shifts rates by 340–440%. However, we argue that the largest source of variation from decompression rates extracted from reentrants lies in the extreme range preserved within each fall deposit, each spanning three orders of magnitude, suggesting extreme conduit dynamic shifts, and emphasizing that petrologic-based ascent rates may vary widely, even within a single-sampled layer. Finally, the lack of detectable CO 2 concentrations in measured profiles is at odds with the amounts detected in sealed melt inclusions (< 200 ppm), an observation that has been made in other silicic systems (e.g., Bishop, USA; Oruanui, NZ; Santorini, GR). We propose two mechanisms to remove CO 2 from the system prior to eruption: (1) additional crystallization drove CO 2 into the fluid phase prior to ascent or (2) reentrants reset to a CO 2 free environment due to a small, initial pre-eruptive pressure decrease. Both scenarios have important implications for the pre-eruptive state of the magma body.

Keywords

    Decompression rate, Diffusion, Magma ascent, Reentrant

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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On the rise: using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA. / Saalfeld, Megan A.; Myers, Madison L.; deGraffenried, Rebecca et al.
In: Bulletin of Volcanology, Vol. 84, No. 1, 4, 2022.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Saalfeld MA, Myers ML, deGraffenried R, Shea T, Waelkens CM. On the rise: using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA. Bulletin of Volcanology. 2022;84(1):4. Epub 2021 Dec 8. doi: 10.1007/s00445-021-01518-4
Saalfeld, Megan A. ; Myers, Madison L. ; deGraffenried, Rebecca et al. / On the rise : using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA. In: Bulletin of Volcanology. 2022 ; Vol. 84, No. 1.
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title = "On the rise: using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA",
abstract = "The Bandelier Tuff is the result of two subsequent caldera-forming eruptions of similar volume and composition which produced the Otowi (1.61 Ma) and Tshirege (1.26 Ma) members. Their remarkably similar characteristics and shared caldera boundaries provides a unique platform to investigate whether magma ascent is affected by the presence of a preexisting caldera boundary. Here, we present decompression rates for discrete layers within the initial plinian phase of each member by modeling volatile gradients (H 2O, CO 2 absent) in quartz-hosted reentrants (unsealed melt inclusions). Successful best-fit 1D diffusion models for the lower (n = 4/9) and upper (n = 11/13) units resulted in average decompression rates of 0.041 MPa/s and 0.026 MPa/s, respectively. Strong overlap between rates extracted from the two eruptions suggests there was no significant change in ascent dynamics. However, the older Otowi member contains a larger number of reentrants that cannot be modeled adequately, suggesting a more complicated path than can be reconstructed with our constant decompression approach. In contrast, reentrants from the Tshirege can be readily modeled from storage depths, an observation that suggests conduit formation was more efficient in the second eruption. To further evaluate the robustness of these extracted rates, we then applied a 2D diffusion model, which considers various reentrant geometries; surprisingly, we find little alteration to 1D-derived rates. By contrast, incorporating the uncertainty in Bandelier temperature (~ 130 °C) shifts rates by 340–440%. However, we argue that the largest source of variation from decompression rates extracted from reentrants lies in the extreme range preserved within each fall deposit, each spanning three orders of magnitude, suggesting extreme conduit dynamic shifts, and emphasizing that petrologic-based ascent rates may vary widely, even within a single-sampled layer. Finally, the lack of detectable CO 2 concentrations in measured profiles is at odds with the amounts detected in sealed melt inclusions (< 200 ppm), an observation that has been made in other silicic systems (e.g., Bishop, USA; Oruanui, NZ; Santorini, GR). We propose two mechanisms to remove CO 2 from the system prior to eruption: (1) additional crystallization drove CO 2 into the fluid phase prior to ascent or (2) reentrants reset to a CO 2 free environment due to a small, initial pre-eruptive pressure decrease. Both scenarios have important implications for the pre-eruptive state of the magma body.",
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note = "Funding information: This work is supported by EAR award 1922513 to M. Myers. Computational efforts were performed on the Hyalite High Performance Computing System, operated and supported by University Information Technology Research Cyberinfrastructure at Montana State University. The authors thank T. Fischer, R.J. Bodnar, and one anonymous reviewer for their thorough and constructive feedback which has greatly improved this manuscript. This work is supported by EAR award 1922513 to M. Myers. Computational efforts were performed on the Hyalite High Performance Computing System, operated and supported by University Information Technology Research Cyberinfrastructure at Montana State University. The authors thank T. Fischer, R.J. Bodnar, and one anonymous reviewer for their thorough and constructive feedback which has greatly improved this manuscript.",
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TY - JOUR

T1 - On the rise

T2 - using reentrants to extract magma ascent rates in the Bandelier Tuff caldera complex, New Mexico, USA

AU - Saalfeld, Megan A.

AU - Myers, Madison L.

AU - deGraffenried, Rebecca

AU - Shea, Tom

AU - Waelkens, Clara M.

N1 - Funding information: This work is supported by EAR award 1922513 to M. Myers. Computational efforts were performed on the Hyalite High Performance Computing System, operated and supported by University Information Technology Research Cyberinfrastructure at Montana State University. The authors thank T. Fischer, R.J. Bodnar, and one anonymous reviewer for their thorough and constructive feedback which has greatly improved this manuscript. This work is supported by EAR award 1922513 to M. Myers. Computational efforts were performed on the Hyalite High Performance Computing System, operated and supported by University Information Technology Research Cyberinfrastructure at Montana State University. The authors thank T. Fischer, R.J. Bodnar, and one anonymous reviewer for their thorough and constructive feedback which has greatly improved this manuscript.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - The Bandelier Tuff is the result of two subsequent caldera-forming eruptions of similar volume and composition which produced the Otowi (1.61 Ma) and Tshirege (1.26 Ma) members. Their remarkably similar characteristics and shared caldera boundaries provides a unique platform to investigate whether magma ascent is affected by the presence of a preexisting caldera boundary. Here, we present decompression rates for discrete layers within the initial plinian phase of each member by modeling volatile gradients (H 2O, CO 2 absent) in quartz-hosted reentrants (unsealed melt inclusions). Successful best-fit 1D diffusion models for the lower (n = 4/9) and upper (n = 11/13) units resulted in average decompression rates of 0.041 MPa/s and 0.026 MPa/s, respectively. Strong overlap between rates extracted from the two eruptions suggests there was no significant change in ascent dynamics. However, the older Otowi member contains a larger number of reentrants that cannot be modeled adequately, suggesting a more complicated path than can be reconstructed with our constant decompression approach. In contrast, reentrants from the Tshirege can be readily modeled from storage depths, an observation that suggests conduit formation was more efficient in the second eruption. To further evaluate the robustness of these extracted rates, we then applied a 2D diffusion model, which considers various reentrant geometries; surprisingly, we find little alteration to 1D-derived rates. By contrast, incorporating the uncertainty in Bandelier temperature (~ 130 °C) shifts rates by 340–440%. However, we argue that the largest source of variation from decompression rates extracted from reentrants lies in the extreme range preserved within each fall deposit, each spanning three orders of magnitude, suggesting extreme conduit dynamic shifts, and emphasizing that petrologic-based ascent rates may vary widely, even within a single-sampled layer. Finally, the lack of detectable CO 2 concentrations in measured profiles is at odds with the amounts detected in sealed melt inclusions (< 200 ppm), an observation that has been made in other silicic systems (e.g., Bishop, USA; Oruanui, NZ; Santorini, GR). We propose two mechanisms to remove CO 2 from the system prior to eruption: (1) additional crystallization drove CO 2 into the fluid phase prior to ascent or (2) reentrants reset to a CO 2 free environment due to a small, initial pre-eruptive pressure decrease. Both scenarios have important implications for the pre-eruptive state of the magma body.

AB - The Bandelier Tuff is the result of two subsequent caldera-forming eruptions of similar volume and composition which produced the Otowi (1.61 Ma) and Tshirege (1.26 Ma) members. Their remarkably similar characteristics and shared caldera boundaries provides a unique platform to investigate whether magma ascent is affected by the presence of a preexisting caldera boundary. Here, we present decompression rates for discrete layers within the initial plinian phase of each member by modeling volatile gradients (H 2O, CO 2 absent) in quartz-hosted reentrants (unsealed melt inclusions). Successful best-fit 1D diffusion models for the lower (n = 4/9) and upper (n = 11/13) units resulted in average decompression rates of 0.041 MPa/s and 0.026 MPa/s, respectively. Strong overlap between rates extracted from the two eruptions suggests there was no significant change in ascent dynamics. However, the older Otowi member contains a larger number of reentrants that cannot be modeled adequately, suggesting a more complicated path than can be reconstructed with our constant decompression approach. In contrast, reentrants from the Tshirege can be readily modeled from storage depths, an observation that suggests conduit formation was more efficient in the second eruption. To further evaluate the robustness of these extracted rates, we then applied a 2D diffusion model, which considers various reentrant geometries; surprisingly, we find little alteration to 1D-derived rates. By contrast, incorporating the uncertainty in Bandelier temperature (~ 130 °C) shifts rates by 340–440%. However, we argue that the largest source of variation from decompression rates extracted from reentrants lies in the extreme range preserved within each fall deposit, each spanning three orders of magnitude, suggesting extreme conduit dynamic shifts, and emphasizing that petrologic-based ascent rates may vary widely, even within a single-sampled layer. Finally, the lack of detectable CO 2 concentrations in measured profiles is at odds with the amounts detected in sealed melt inclusions (< 200 ppm), an observation that has been made in other silicic systems (e.g., Bishop, USA; Oruanui, NZ; Santorini, GR). We propose two mechanisms to remove CO 2 from the system prior to eruption: (1) additional crystallization drove CO 2 into the fluid phase prior to ascent or (2) reentrants reset to a CO 2 free environment due to a small, initial pre-eruptive pressure decrease. Both scenarios have important implications for the pre-eruptive state of the magma body.

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